In what way might Liverpool line up in Salah’s absence?
Mohamed Salah has departed Liverpool to captain Egypt during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), potentially leaving the squad for as many as eight matches if the Pharaohs advance to the final in Morocco on January 18. How might Arne Slot adjust his team without the influential forward? Liverpool’s upcoming encounter on Saturday Night Football against Tottenham Hotspur is not the first situation this season where Slot has set out without Salah in the starting eleven, as the 33-year-old was benched for the champions’ last five fixtures consecutively.
Throughout the season, Salah has been a substitute in seven games, initially when he was rested during the club’s Champions League ventures against Galatasaray and Eintracht Frankfurt in September and October, respectively.
Following that, he was left out due to tactical considerations for the recent Premier League matches against West Ham United, Sunderland, Leeds United, and Brighton & Hove Albion. Furthermore, he was excluded entirely from the Reds’ squad for the Champions League clash at Inter Milan earlier this month after he stated that he felt he was “thrown under the bus” by the club.
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In those games, Slot employed various players on the right flank of the attack and made adjustments to his formation, hinting at how he may now approach setting his team up without Salah.
Frimpong in a speedy wing-back positionGalatasaray (a)
Formation4-2-3-1
Who took Salah’s place on the right?Jeremie FrimpongHow did Slot clarify the adjustments? “Jeremie has played as a right winger numerous times for Leverkusen and also for us in pre-season. He is among the players capable of stepping in for Mo in that position. I don’t see many others who can play in that role, it’s one of his preferred positions, and he features there for his national team consistently. Normally, they (Galatasaray) play with an inverted left winger and a very high full-back, so the left winger moves inward, contributing to midfield, meaning Dom (Szoboszlai) is in midfield while Jeremie plays somewhat as a wing-back.” Mo has logged many minutes already, so we decided to proceed this way today, and I believe I was quite pleased with our performance in the first half.”
Did you know?
Liverpool’s match at Galatasaray in September was the first Champions League fixture with consequences that Salah was fit for but didn’t start since the group-stage victory over Rangers in October 2022.
How effective was it? This marked the first instance this season where Slot tested Frimpong in his more favored position on the right side of Liverpool’s attack, rather than as a full-back where he initially began his season.
Frimpong’s speed should make him a threatening adversary in that position, especially if he can receive the ball in space on the counter-attack. However, after a few early incursions into Galatasaray’s territory, where his final deliveries fell short, the Dutchman’s impact diminished, and he was substituted shortly after the hour as the Reds succumbed to defeat in Istanbul. A recurring hamstring concern has prevented Slot from revisiting this strategy, but with the player back in training and available, might the Dutchman give it another shot in Salah’s absence?Szoboszlai positioned as part of a 4-4-2Frankfurt & Leeds (a)Formation4-4-2Who took Salah’s spot on the right?Dominik SzoboszlaiHow did Slot clarify the adjustments? “We are counting on Frimpong to create opportunities for these two from the right side, while Cody Gakpo does the same from the left, with Florian Wirtz’s creativity around our two No 9s,” said the Liverpool manager prior to the Frankfurt game. “Against Leeds, a 5-3-2, I switched to a 4-4-2 diamond, with Szoboszlai on the right, Gakpo on the left, and Wirtz in between; I could have played Mo on the right.”
How effective was it? The team netted eight goals on the road, including two from Salah’s substitute, Szoboszlai, who also provided an assist in Germany, indicating that it was quite successful.
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Dominik Szoboszlai regains Liverpool’s lead at Leeds with a superb finish
Slot employed different right-backs in this newly experimented 4-4-2 formation (though Frimpong exited due to injury just 19 minutes into the Frankfurt match), and they were pushed forward to allow Szoboszlai to operate more centrally in a constricted midfield. However, the distinction between the two configurations was that the Reds opted for two outright No 9s at the Commerzbank-Arena in October, whereas it was Wirtz operating just off Hugo Ekitike as a No 10 at Elland Road, both with limited success.Szoboszlai as a right wingerWest Ham (a), Sunderland (h) & Brighton (h)Formation4-2-3-1Who took Salah’s position on the right?Dominik SzoboszlaiHow did Slot explain the changes? “I believe as a collective we faced difficulties. More frequently with game plans countering us, I’m not just referring to the long ball, teams often employ that tactic against us, and I have sought solutions, which is my responsibility. I have attempted different approaches; we appeared vulnerable against (Nottingham) Forest and PSV (Eindhoven), so I aimed to incorporate an extra midfielder against West Ham.”
How effective was it? Liverpool undeniably appeared most balanced in this setup, with Slot sacrificing an attacker to deploy two No 6s in front of a back four that had previously conceded a staggering seven goals in the last two games at Anfield.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from West Ham’s match against Liverpool in the Premier League
It was Szoboszlai once more assigned to replace Salah on the right, yet he played less infield than in the aforementioned 4-4-2 and established better connections with his right-back.
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland
Unquestionably, the champions appeared far harder to breach, with Slot often mentioning how few opportunities his team conceded in these three matches (they let in only one goal), but that seemed to hinder their offensive capabilities.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Liverpool’s victory against Brighton in the Premier League
Szoboszlai as an advanced right midfielderInter (a)Formation4-1-2-1-2Who filled in for Salah on the right?Dominik SzoboszlaiHow did Slot clarify the rationale behind the lineup? “The reason for the formation is that there are limited players available, and in my view, when wingers are not available, the most sensible option is to utilize two No 9s.” This isn’t the first instance we’ve used this formation; perhaps we approached something similar against Leeds tonight. But for them (Alexander Isak and Ekitike), it’s their first opportunity to play together following the Frankfurt match.”
How effective was it? Perhaps the most effective choice to date, with Szoboszlai not only coordinating nicely with the front two, but also forming a solid partnership down the right with his full-back, as Liverpool restricted Inter to merely two shots on target throughout the entire match.
And one might speculate if Slot will revert to this configuration for Saturday’s encounter in north London – where Szoboszlai is expected to be fit for – particularly if he wants both Isak and Ekitike to lead the attack while also maintaining a tight defense as the team performed so well at San Siro.How might Semenyo’s January addition impact the situation?Formation4-3-3Who filled in for Salah on the right?Antoine SemenyoHow might it prove effective? There’s certainly the possibility that Bournemouth forward Semenyo may have already joined Liverpool by the time Salah returns from the AFCON. The Reds have long shown interest in the exciting Ghanaian international, who possesses a £65m release clause in his contract that becomes active on January 1, with sporting director Richard Hughes having signed the 25-year-old from Bristol City to the Vitality Stadium in 2023.
Semenyo has since tallied 29 goals in over 100 appearances for the Cherries and is equally adept at playing on either wing, with his playing time distributed almost evenly between the left and right wings this season.
That is one of the main factors attracting not only Liverpool but also other clubs such as Tottenham and both Manchester teams. However, if Liverpool can persuade Semenyo that his best path lies at Anfield, then Slot would have a ready-made alternative for Salah on the right who could smoothly integrate into his preferred 4-3-3 formation that led Liverpool to last season’s championship. Watch Tottenham vs Liverpool from 5pm (kick-off 5.30pm) on Saturday on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event
Published: 2025-12-19 08:00:00
source: www.skysports.com
